Car-coupling



(No Model.)

I. N. HINSHAW.

' CAR COUPLING. No. 515,830. Patented Mar. 6, 1894.

hr a, f

UNITED STATES PATENT onion.

ISAAC N. HINSHAW, OF SHERIDAN, INDIANA.

CAR-CCU PLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,830, dated March 6,1894.

Application filedApril 19, 1893.

nying drawings.

My invention relates to car-couplers and it consists in the improvementhereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings andespecially pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic coupling whichwill be simple in its construction, strong, easily operated and whichwill accommodate itself to grades and curves.

In the drawings, Figure 1, is a longitudinal section of my improvedcouplers showing the drawheads connected by a ball and bar link, and thebuifer, uncoupling levers and actuating mechanism in position. Fig. 2,is a perspective view of the drawhead, showing the lever for disengagingthe link whpn the cars are to be uncoupled. Fig. 3, is an end elevationof the drawhead. Fig. 4, shows a modified form of link to be used whencoupling with the pushing bar of a locomotive.

Referring to the several parts by letters of reference, A A are opposingdrawheads which open longitudinally downward, said I opening extendingbackward to the drawbolt attachment, not shown. This opening is howeverbridged at f, the bridge serving to keep the buffer bar B in place andto form an abutment for the bnifer spring 6; the opening in the frontpart of the drawhead is made flaring, the two sides forming heavy lipsor flanges a. which approximate each other so closely as to leave butlittle more space than is necessary for the passage of the bar of thedraw link; back of the lips or the opening is Serial No. 470,983. (Nomodel.)

changes of grade. The opening below the lips is enlarged so as toreceive the bufier bar and hold it in position at its forward end. Thisbar is provided with n raised portion B from which projects a rod ecarrying the bulfer spring 6, the upper face of thepart B being slottedand fitted with a lever 11 pivoted at b and provided with an eyelet bolt0 to which is secured a chain c that leads to any convenient part of thecar for operating the lever b when uncoupling. The slot in the upperface of the projection of the buffer bar is beveled outward upon eachside so that the ball on the link will be allowed to gradually takeposition behind the lips a when the bulfer is forced back in coupling.This slot is bridged near the front with a wire or rod 61 which limitsthe upper movement of the lever 1). The under portion of the drawhead isslotted and provided with levers g 9' adapted to force the buffer barsback against the springs e by hand whenever occasion requires it.

The operation of my coupler is as follows: The buffer bar is forced backby hand and one end of the link it is positioned behind the lips a, whenthe bars B are released and the projection B coming against the ball,binds it between said projection and the lips, thus creating sufiicientfriction to hold the link in any position at which itmay be placed; thelink is then elevated as indicated in dotted line and the cars arebrought together when the buffers striking take the pressure 0d the linkand the ball drops from its elevated position into the beveled groove inthe projection of the buffer bar of the opposing drawhead, and fromthere to position as the cars are drawn more closely together, thusautomatically coupling them. hen it is desired to uncouple the cars theyare backed until the drawheads are forced against the springs e, when byraising the lever Z) by means of the chains 0 the ball of the link willbe thrown from its position and the cars may be separated.

When it is desirable to use the pushing bar of the locomotivel use theform of link shown in Fig. i, with a ball on one end and a link on theother.

IOC

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is i 1. In a car-coupler, opposing drawheadsand means for connecting the same .by a link consisting of a bar havingspherical ends, in

combination with a bufier bar having an up-;

ward projecting portion, and a beveled groove in said portion by whichthe fall of the link is broken, and it is permitted to assume posi-.

which rests under the ball end of the bar link, as and for the purposespecified, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupler the combination of the drawhead opening in front,and upon its upper face, of the inwardly protruding lips, and

the buffer having an upward projecting portion with beveled groove heldto position beneath the same, said groove containing a pivoted lever ofthe spring to normally hold the buffers in a forward position, and thelink having spherical ends with the lever and connecting mechanism forcoupling and uncoupling, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC N. HINSHAW.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. GRIFFIN, JOHN C. NEWBY.

